Rating: 3 Stars
Publication: June 4th, 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Egalley
Diversity: PoC SC
Summary:
Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come. But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits, and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all. From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks, and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending
My Thoughts:
I wish the main character was more assertive. She didnt demand they tell her the truth about what was happening on their voyage and she let them boss her around, especially her protocol guide Perrault. I understand it was done to show growth as she becomes more assertive by the end, but it was just very frustrating to read. Even though she really didnt want to go on this voyage to find a husband she does make the best of her situation. Im still dying to know why the boy she proposed to before leaving said no. She doesnt spend much time with her father or her godmother before she embarks on her journey, but from what I read they seem to genuinely care for Selah. Her stepmother on the other hand cant wait to get rid of her and make sure she doesn't come back. I appreciated the addition of a caring stepmother to contrast the mean one.
I was a little disapointed we didnt get to know the people who were hired to sail the Beholder that well. It was a feat just remembering who most of them were. By the end I had a general idea, but it was still very surface level considering how she starts to refer to them as family. The main focus was definitely the love interests who I ended up loving, but it wasnt quite believable to me how quickly these boys were falling for her. Even the captain seemed jealous of her suitors. I did love her suitors brothers and their strong sibling bond. Their comaderie was very heartwarming. I feel like I got to know them better than the crew. We also get to see a bit of her friendship with one of the princesses which was nice, but I didnt agree with the timing of the princesses actions. I personally would have been way more angry with her.
The romance is pretty much what carried the story forward. I know the romance wasnt perfect with how fast everything happened, but it was compelling nonetheless. I often found myself having a difficult time putting the book down. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but I didnt see the point of it. The second half and the people we meet there was a lot more fun. For the most part, the actual plot isnt revealed until the very end. I believe some of the plot could have been incorporated ealier in the story to spice things up. I spent a lot of time wishing for something exciting to happen and that bit of plot could have helped. I saw some of the twists coming, but the main characters reaction often took me by surprise. Some of her decisions I understood while others I didnt completely agree with.
The world was very difficult to wrap my head around. I had to do lots of googling to figure out where the main character came from and where she was going. I recognized a few places, but I wasnt familiar with most of the old names used and I think a map could have really helped. We didnt visit as many coutries as I was expecting, but I liked the two we visited and how different they were. No idea how a radio would have worked, but whatever not a big deal. I do wonder why it was such a secret though. I loved the little nods to different fairytales and Im sure there were more I didnt know about. I didn't expect things to end the way they did. The ending doesnt leave you that satisfied as nothing is resolved. Its more of a cliffhanger to get readers excited for the sequel.
*This book was received for an honest review
No comments:
Post a Comment